Bronny's Movie reviews

Dramas

SAVING PRIVATE RYAN

WHO IS IN IT: Tom Hanks stars as Captain John Miller, who leads the landing party on D day at Omaha beach in Normandy, Tom Sizemore as his sargeant, Jeremy Davies as Upham, the clerical worker taken on their dangerous mission as a translator, and Matt Damon in the smaller role of Private Ryan.

WHAT IT IS ABOUT: The main theme of this movie is about the horror and pointlessness of war. But the storyline is an engaging one. Tom Hanks is given a special mission...to find Private James Ryan, who has parachuted into Normandy (no one knows where) and bring him back safely. His three brothers have all been killed in various other battles in the war, and the chief of staff has decided that Private Ryan must be returned home safely to his mother at all costs. Captain Miller takes his sargeant, a translator with no field experience (because his other three are all dead), and a crew of about half a dozen others to find Ryan. What happens to them along the way, as they become involved in various combat situations, see the aftermath of others, and begin to question whether saving private Ryan is worth dying for, whether his life is more important than theirs.

WHAT I THOUGHT ABOUT IT: The horror of war has never been more graphically portrayed than in this movie.Ex servicemen who were there at the Normandy landings say it is realistic. The film was rated R in the USA and MA in Australia. I must caution that I feel the movie is unsuitable for children under 18.The opening sequence is of a prolonged slaughter of soldiers on the beach. I kept wishing it would stop, but as I realised later, I imagine that is what those soldiers were thinking at the time too. As with most recently made war movies, there is a lot of noise and yelling in the combat sequences which makes them hard to follow, but again I assume this to be a realistic representation of war.
Hanks shines again in a wonderful portrayal of this Pennsylvania schoolteacher thrust into an incredible situation, where he tries to find meaning and justification for his war effort, while having faith that he will return to his wife. I did wonder how such a man could have so much tactical know how, and this was never adequately explained, but is only a minor point.He is ably supported by Sizemore and the other soldiers, Jeremy Davies deserving a special mention as the bewildered Upham. Matt Damon also is convincing in his smaller role. The scenery is beautiful, the film work good, although I found the jumping up and down in some sequences a little disconcerting.Although long ( 2hours 50mins) the movie does not drag at all.
ROUNDUP: I was tempted to give this movie 3 stars only, but on reflection I realised it was indeed worth 4 stars for its realism, however unwelcome. It is not a movie for the squeamish, but it is a movie that needed to be made. As with Spielbergs other triumph, "Schindlers List", it serves to remind us that we cannot forget, for we cannot allow it to happen again.

DEEP IMPACT FUTURISTIC

WHO IS IN IT: Morgan Freeman is the (very serious, but then who wouldn't be when the world is about to end) President of the United States, Tea Leoni is a young TV news reporter, Elijah Wood is Biederman, the young amateur astronomer, Robert Duvall is an ageing astronaut, and Vanessa Redgrave and Maximillian Schell are Tea Leoni's parents.The movie is directed by Mimi Leder (ER) and we see ER cast members as the TV anchorwoman and (female) pilot of the space mission.
WHAT IT IS ABOUT:
A huge comet is on a collision course with earth. The powers that be have kept the information from the public in an attempt to avoid panic while they make preparations inside limestone caves for the continuation of the human race. 1000 people will be selected by lottery to live in the caves for 2 years until it is safe to return to the Earth's surface. Tea Leoni unwittingly stumbles upon the information and forces the President's hand. She also scores herself the anchorwoman's spot on the biggest (and possibly last) story of all time. We follow the story partly through the news broadcasts as astronauts are sent to land on the comet in an attempt to explode it.And we follow the lives of a group of well developed characters, as they decide how they are going to deal with the impending catastrophe.
WHAT I THOUGHT ABOUT IT: I thought Deep Impact was a wonderful movie, it was exciting and yet very human at the same time. The special effects were terrific, the characters believable and engrossing. The story itself was realistic enough to make me feel a little uneasy!
ROUNDUP:
I would recommend Deep Impact as a must see movie. Even on the small screen I think the special effects would still be worth viewing. The acting performances are strong and the storyline is engrossing.

L.A. CONFIDENTIAL

WHO IS IN IT:
Australia's own Russell Crowe and Guy Pearce, James Cromwell (the farmer from "Babe"), Kevin Spacey, Danny De Vito and Kim Basinger.

WHAT IT IS ABOUT: The action centres around the Los Angeles Police Department in the 1950's. Corruption, scams, police brutality and bribery are all part of a days work. As Captain Dudley Smith (Cromwell) says to Det. Bud White (Russell Crowe) - "I am impressed with your adherence to the neccessity for violence as a part of the job."The LAPD is trying to clean it's act up, and attract new recruits. The plot is quite complicated, but plausible and engrossing. It basically revolves around Bud White, a brutal man whose life experiences have hardened him, and Edwin Exley (Pearce), so clean he squeaks, a "by the book" good cop who finds himself as a detective lieutenant in charge of Bud and similar officers.As events unfold, these two find common ground between them, and similarities in basic character that sees them form an unlikely alliance.

WHAT I THOUGHT ABOUT IT:
L.A. Confidential is an engrossing movie, and although it lasts for 2 1/2 hours, you do not lose interest. The acting is superb from all the predominantly male cast. Kim Basinger as Bud White's prostitute girlfriend is also surprisingly convincing.There are quite a few dead bodies, and a lot of violence, but it is essential to the plot, and I did not find it too intrusive. I would recommend this movie for adults.